Google Teacher Academy Southeast Asia 2014 - Application Made Simple

The applications for the first Google Teacher Academy (GTA) in Southeast Asia opened over a week ago and Bluekore, the GTA organizer, has been assailed with questions ever since. The review team processing the entries have found that certain parts of the application are giving the applicants some difficulty, so it would be helpful to go through the application page by page to see what teachers need to prepare in order to submit a complete application.

This is a multi-page application, and it requires you to prepare some responses beforehand.

1. The first page contains information about the GTA, and already includes the note that the required one-minute video must be prepared beforehand because there is no way of saving your application in progress.

2. Continue to the second page to tell the review team about your basic details. It will ask you for your Gmail address, so make sure you have one! If your school has already gone Google, you can use your email address there because that is effectively a Google account.

It will also ask you for the website of your school or organization, so make sure to have that handy.

3. The third page contains only one question: your current job title.

4. The fourth page asks for a link to your résumé. Ensure that it's just one (1) page and that it is shared via Google Docs. (Waves Hand: This is the résumé we are looking for:)

We are looking for a résumé that will help show why you would be a great Google Certified Teacher. Edit your old résumé to highlight any relevant experience, certifications, accolades, awards and associations. Please share your one page resume via a Google Doc.

Alright! You're 50% done. On to the fifth page.

5. The fifth page is devoted to School and Community Reach. It asks for statistics on how many teachers and students are in your school/organization, the number of conferences you present to each year as well as trainings/presentations that you conduct yearly. It will also ask for your Google+ Profile URL, so make sure you're in there because it's a required question. If you have a Twitter and blog page, make sure to post this also, because every bit of info about you helps!

6. It's time to showcase your Google Experience! If you have taken any certification exams, just indicate it here. It's not a requirement, but it's nice to have. If you're up for it, you can take the Google Online Basics Exam here. It's free, is 30 items, you get a certificate after, and if you've been using Google Apps, it will be a breeze to pass!

7. So it's not all basic details. Now, you get to showcase your essay skills on page number seven! There are two questions that you have to answer. Make sure to limit your answer to 800 characters max. There are only two questions, and don't worry, there's no MATH.

Tell us about how you've navigated ambiguity or hardship

Tell us about what inspires you to be a part of the Google Certified Teacher program

Don't be afraid to give your real-life experiences to answer these questions. Inspire!!!

8. And now....dun dun dunnnnn....the much-awaited...Google Teacher Academy Video! To be clear on the instructions, I've copied and pasted it below:

Create an original one minute video on the following topic: "How do you innovate in the classroom or educational community to generate positive change?” This video is a very important part of your application. We're specifically looking for educators that creatively address the specific topic listed above. You do not need to be in the video, but the task is designed to demonstrate your resourcefulness, your commitment, and your unique personality and interests.